Region: South Africa

Digitisation in Africa has led many countries to develop data protection laws. We explore ways to strengthen these frameworks.

Governments cite administration of education as a rationale for internet shutdowns during exams. Here’s why shutdowns are never compatible with the right to education.

The undersigned civil society organizations, write to invite Ralph Mupita, new Chief Executive Officer at MTN, into dialogue with our community, and provide guidance on how telcos like MTN can better respect the human rights of their users. 

We analyze draft laws in four countries, providing guidance to help legislators protect human rights.

The South African government is considering a draft bill that, as written, undermines the rights to privacy, lacks transparency, and chills security research and online expression.

Last week, Access and a number of allies sent a letter to Congressional leadership calling for improvements to the U.S. MLAT system. We point out that the current failure of the U.S. to comply quickly with requests for international legal assistance pushes governments to use other means of obtaining information, including surveillance, that infringe users’ rights and risk the integrity and interoperability of the internet.

The South Africa-based telco MTN, which operates in 21 countries across the Middle East and Africa, recently released its first Group Human Rights Policy. MTN announced its support for user rights to privacy, security, communication and information, using the Access “Telco Action Plan” as a guiding policy document.